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City officials say they are taking steps to prevent another spate of firefighter absences. (Getty Images)

On New Year’s Eve, the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services department suffered a rare spate of sick firefighters, with nearly 100 not showing up for their shifts. That meant dozens of ambulances went unstaffed, and the results in one case may have been tragic: A Southeast man, Durand Ford Sr., died of a heart attack and waited about 40 minutes for an ambulance to arrive. There is debate over whether a faster response would have mattered and whether the high absentee rate that night was a wildcat job action or the product of bad luck and bad planning. But his son has spoken out to WRC-TV, and city leaders are stepping in to make sure inauguration weekend won’t see a reprise. Fire Chief Kenneth Ellerbe tells WRC-TV that he is taking steps that include taking quicker action to replace absent personnel. Meanwhile, the Ford death is under investigation, Ellerbe told me yesterday.